News:
November 27, 2025
Deputy Minister for Education Dr. Clement Apaak has set the record straight in the procurement of sanitary pads for girls in basic public schools, junior and senior high schools, stating that the government is not involved in any scandal as being peddle by his colleague member of Parliament for Old Tafo Vincent Ekow Assafuah dring the debate on the 2026 budget on the floor of the House.
According to him the decomposing elephant cannot equalize, “there is no scandal and there can never be a scandal.”
At a press conference, he pointed out that at no point in time did they purchase a sanitary pad pack at the cost of forty-five Ghana cedis.
Here are the facts in the 2025 budget parliament approved an allocation of two hundred and ninety-two million Ghana cedis for the purchase and distribution of twelve million two hundred and eight thousand, three hundred and forty of sanitary pads which was segregated to two parts.
The first batch, he stated was composed of six million, six hundred and seven thousand and ninety- five packs of sanitary pads and each pack contains twelve pieces, while the second batch composed of five million, six hundred and one thousand, two hundred and forty-five packs, he noted.
“And at no point in time did we procure the pad at 45 cedis a pack; rather the range is between 19 to 24 Ghana cedis for the first batch which has been distributed that is six million six hundred and seven thousand and ninety -seven packs.”
He explained that the reason for the range is because “as part of the process, we asked those who had apply for contract to supply the cost of transportation from the source of production that influence the variation and no where close to the 45 Ghana cedis”
Whiles the six million packs have been distributed, the second batch of five point six million are currently being distributed; hence the finance minister’s report explained to Ghanaians what has been done, and not what is ongoing, he added.
We have twenty thousand seven hundred and forty-four public basic schools; we have distributed three point nine million packs to students in twenty thousand, seven hundred and forty public basic schools, he disclosed.
“We have nine hundred and six senior secondary and TVET institutions, we have distributed two point six million sanitary packs to students; the total number of students in the basic public school system who have benefited from this life changing intervention is three hundred and ninety-eight thousand seven hundred and one. For their seniors in the junior and senior high school systems number who have benefited from the first batch is one point one million”.
Secondary schools that benefited from the first batch were nine hundred and sixty-eight thousand, two hundred and eighty-five students, giving a total of two million, five hundred and seventy-eight thousand nine hundred and fifteen from primary five to senior secondary school have benefited.
He explained that multiple companies were given contracts to procure and supply; hence the distance to where the distribution is done is also factored into the cost.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com